A £11.3 million Extra Care scheme designed to meet the future needs of its residents has retained a link to its past by reflecting the history of the community within its name.
Representatives of the steering group at the Great Western Park Urban Extension development near Didcot opted to name the new Extra Care Living aspect Poppy Meadows, in recognition of the local medicinal opium field.
The scheme will be delivered by Housing 21, the country’s leading provider of Retirement and Extra Care Living and will include 80 new apartments alongside communal facilities for people over the age of 55.
Debbie Hope, Head of Development at Housing 21, said: “We are delighted that in building a scheme that focuses on what people will need in the future, we have not forgotten the history of the site and that is reflected in the name, Poppy Meadows. We always aspire to ensure our schemes retain strong links to the community and this is a great way to embed the development right from the beginning.
“Poppy Meadows will be a modern Extra Care scheme which will allow over 55s to live independently in their home, with the reassurance that if and when care is needed, there will be an on-site Care Team available 24/7 to offer tailored support. We are looking forward to progressing with the development and welcoming our first residents to their new home from early 2023.”
The development on land at Greenwood Way is expected to be completed in December 2022 and has received funding from the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal. The first residents are expected to move in from January 2023.
The name Poppy Meadows was chosen from a list of suggestions put forward by Housing 21, with representations from the local authorities, Oxfordshire Commissioning Groups and contractors voting for their favourite. In addition, all of the local street names are associated with flowers and trees.
Cllr Judy Roberts, Cabinet Member for Development and Infrastructure at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We’re excited to add our support for the new homes as part of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal. The building of 80 new apartments at Poppy Meadows shows that we’re delivering on our commitment to help provide affordable homes for local people. We look forward to welcoming residents and their pets moving in, and becoming part of the Vale of White Horse and Great Western Park community in early 2023.”
The scheme will be available to people over the age of 55 and of modest means, with 60 apartments available for social rent and a further 20 available for shared ownership. There will also be on-site communal facilities including a café/ bistro, hair salon and communal lounge for use by residents and the local community.
Poppy Meadows has been designed to be centred around an open internal courtyard providing an open green space for residents to enjoy, with three linked blocks arranged around it for the apartments and communal spaces.
The project was secured by Midlands’ developer Deeley Construction via the Homes England DPP3 (Delivery Partner Panel) framework and will be built to BREEAM Very Good standard.
Martin Gallagher, Managing Director at Deeley Construction, said: “We are pleased to be continuing to strengthen our partnership with Housing 21 by working on this development at Didcot and nearing completion of the Willow Gardens development in Chipping Norton.
“Our on-site team has been working with the project team and local community to minimise disruption to the local area, on what is a logistically challenging site. This approach of regular communication and working in partnership has ensured that the build programme remains on track.”
For more information on Poppy Meadows or other Extra Care Living schemes provided by Housing 21, visit www.housing21.org.uk
Picture caption (Left to right): Lorraine Jenner, Regional Operations Manager at Housing 21; Graham Hill, Site Manager at Deeley Construction; Morgan Richards, Construction Project Manager at Housing 21; Stephen May from Affordable Housing at Vale of White Horse District Council; Cllr Jenny Hannaby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Oxfordshire County Council; Martin Gallagher, Managing Director at Deeley Construction; Cllr Judy Roberts, Cabinet member for Development and Infrastructure at Vale of White Horse District Council; Emma Taylor, Housing Manager at Housing 21; Fiona Clarke, Extra Care Manager (South West) at Housing 21; Lisa Ord, Osbornes Quantity Surveyors; Jayne Bolton, from Infrastructure and Development, and Emma East from Communications at Vale of White Horse District Council.
